Occupying and Organizing the East Side of Milwaukee

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Milwaukee, WI - As a line of hundreds of Marquette University students continued to build for their home game basketball game of the year versus fellow Jesuit University rival Notre Dame a different line also began to form. This line was equally as loud and visible despite visibly less numbers than the huge student turnout for the final home game of the year. This was a Boycott Palermo’s Pizza informational picket line aiming to educate game goers about the ongoing strike and boycott at the local pizza company, where workers were illegally fired for organizing a union.

Striking Palermo’s workers and MU students band together to bring their message to waiting students.

According to their Facebook page, the informational picket was organized by the MU Coalition for Worker Rights to:

“…demand that Marquette University cut its contract with Palermo Villa, Inc.

Marquette University, despite being an affiliate of two international groups that support fair labor rights, has a contract with Palermo’s Pizza, a company that fired dozens of workers this summer for attempting to form a union.

The MUCWR stands in solidarity with the Palermo workers, and is urging Marquette to stand behind its principles and international agreements by cutting its contract with this exploitative company.”

The Boycott Palermo’s informational picket line ran right next to the student line waiting to get into the basketball game

A group of about 40 workers and their supporters held signs, marched, chanted, passed out literature explaining the labor dispute, and generally made themselves visible engaging many passersby and game attendees into perhaps pondering why their university was drawing such a spirited protest. Check out our video below from Saturday’s event.

It was a great turnout at last night’s Solidarity Dinner for the striking Palermo’s Pizza workers.

Milwaukee, WI - The United Lodge 66 on Milwaukee’s south side was jam packed with supporters of the striking Palermo’s Pizza workers who have been on strike for well over a month now, demanding the company recognize their union (which was democratically voted for by over 80% of the workers) and take seriously their worker safety concerns. The dinner organized by several community members raised over $700.00 for the worker general strike fund and reminded the striking workers that they have many allies supporting them in their fight.

Community supporters and striking Palermo’s Pizza workers walk the picket line together after last night’s Solidarity Dinner (photo courtesy of Daniel Ginsberg-Jaeckle)

The evening’s events began with a grill-out of brats and hotdogs (donated from supporters of the strike), interactive games with attendees, and musical entertainment including a unifying moment, where one of the members of the Milwaukee Molotov Marchers, (a radical street marching band from Milwaukee) led the gathering in a collective and powerful “The People United Will Never Be Defeated” / “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” musical chant (video embedded below). At the conclusion of the dinner and post-dinner festivities the gathering made their way down to the Palermo’s Pizza worker picket line, where the striking workers and community supporters walked the line in solidarity till 9:30 (the time Palermo’s workers end their picket every night). This was the perfect ending to a day of tremendous solidarity and support from the community and left no doubt in the minds of the workers that others stand in solidarity with their struggle!

Four babies have been born to striking Palermo’s Pizza workers since they went on strike well over a month ago. Meet little Kimberly. Her daddy, Roberto, is one of the many workers on strike, fighting for her future!

No Justice, No Piece! Boycott Palermo’s imahe created for the striking workers by Riverwest artist Paul Kjelland.